About Star Wars Collectibles (Mania.com)

Overview

When the Star Wars movies first hit, they created a tidal wave of associated products: toys, games, puzzles, t-shirts and countless other pieces of pop culture paraphernalia. Over the years, many of these products have become valued collector's items, and fans continue to scour sites like eBay in search of elusive collectibles. The sheer volume of different kinds of collectibles could fill an entire book, but some of the most noted types fall into a few basic categories.

Action Figures

One of the most popular types of Star Wars collectibles is the series of action figures first produced by Kenner in 1977 and later revived by Hasbro. Kenner originally designed the figures to be 3.75 inches tall--smaller than most dolls at the time--which let them sell the toys more cheaply and allowed children to buy them with their allowance money. They discontinued the line in the mid-1980s, but Hasbro revived them a decade later and they continue to be produced as of 2009.

Cards

Topps, Inc. produced a wide array of Star Wars collectible cards: featuring stills from the movies, concept art and similar imagery printed on cardboard and sold in packets like baseball cards. Five series of 66 cards apiece (plus gum and stickers) were marketed in 1977, with another four series coming out in 1980 for "Empire," and two series released in 1983 for "Jedi." Topps began production of a new series of collectible cards in 1993, and kept them in production throughout the second trilogy (1999 to 2005) and beyond. Additional sets were produced by companies such as Kellogg's for promotional purposes.

Comics

Marvel Comics produced a run of 107 Star Wars comic books, starting in 1977. The books covered the events of the first films, as well as new adventures of the characters featured in the movies. Dark Horse Comics revived the line in 1991 with their enormously successful "Dark Empire" series. More comics were produced starting in 1999, in order to capitalize on the release of the second trilogy.

Statues and Maquettes

The Star Wars phenomenon has produced an extended series of statues, figurines and maquettes for sale. They depict various characters and scenes from the Star Wars universe. Unlike the action figures, they don't move, but they're often much larger and considerable effort is invested in the details of each figure. They retail for hundreds of dollars and the most expensive ones can fetch many times that amount.

Plates, Models and Other Collectibles

The Hamilton Collection created a series of Star Wars commemorative plates in the 1980s and 1990s, covering characters and events from the movies. Other companies have produced mugs, keychains, chess sets, cookie jars and just about every type of product imaginable. Like the statues, cards, comics and action figures, the price for these items depends on their relative rarity and the price collectors are willing to pay.